Voters in Pickens County decided that with senior tax exemptions, the status quo is just fine. Option 1, no change, took about 400 more votes (2,648 to 2,274), winning with roughly 54 percent in the combined Republican and Democrat straw poll results. (Final vote totals were delayed by a problem with a voting machine card in Ludville and could change very slightly, but not enough to affect any outcome.)

In the contested races:

• Political newcomer Tucker Green, a college student, won a seat on the school board, handily defeating incumbent Byron Long 2,626 to 1,392.

Graduation program, interview with Valedictorian and Salutatorian, senior salutes, and a class photo with a list of graduates, all in a pull-out section, pages 13-16A

With a sketchy forecast for graduation this Saturday at 9 a.m., Pickens High School Principal Chris Wallace said at this point “all we can do is pray for no rain.”

The school system has been working at a fever pitch to have Dragon Stadium’s $1.7 million SPLOST-funded renovations - which include a new artificial turf, video scoreboard, new track, and upgraded lights - completed in time for the commencement ceremony.

Animal control officers and a veterinarian had to wear HazMat suits to enter the residence where some dogs were roaming loose and others were trapped in rusty cages. A father and son have been charged with cruelty to animals and proceedings are underway to condemn the house.

Law enforcement officers and the responding veterinarian say the recent animal abuse case in the Twin Mountain Lakes area is one of the worst they have seen in decades.

According to a press release from the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to tip from a concerned resident and discovered a scene like something out of a horror movie. Upon arrival, officers found partially buried dog corpses and several dogs roaming the premises.

After obtaining a search warrant, deputies and detectives were forced to wear breathing apparatuses to enter the home due to the odor of decay and fecal matter.

Two roundabouts will be added to Highway 136 in the Blaine/Talking Rock area. Transportation officials say the research is clear, roundabouts are safer for motorists.

Groundbreaking is still two years away, but according to the Georgia Department of Transportation a project that will widen a portion of Highway 136 and add two new roundabouts is “a go.”

One roundabout will be located in Blaine at the three-way “Y” intersection of Highway 136 and the Highway 136 Connector (location of Bart’s Bait & Tackle), and the other at a realigned intersection of Highway 136 and Old Highway 5/Ellijay Road. Total length of the project is 2.7 miles on Highway 136 between the 136 Connector and Highway 515.